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Tammy F., Not an active Expert

Category: Pet

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my minpin has spots of dry flaky skin and loss of hair

Customer Question

My MinPin has spots of dry flaky skin and loss of hair. The vet said it was an allergy, but, she is six years old and nothing has changed. She takes sentinel tablets for fleas. The vet treated her with baths twice a week with a medicated shampoo, "Hexadine" that didn't really help, then she took "vetalog" pills and it went away but came back. Does she have to take those pills all of the time? They increase her appetite, and, she is already overweight.

Optional Information: Age: 6; Female; Breed: Miniature Pinscher

Already Tried: Hexadine, resicort, vetalog pills & just got "Nu-Stock" which I have not used yet.

The most common cause of these crazy skin problems IS allergies, especially with this breed. These allergies could be from grass, contact with a cleaner or chemical or could even be food related. The allergy part is sometimes tough to treat but there are some simple things that you can do.

Talk with your vet about a low allergy diet. Rabbit and potato is my favorite and my dogs do well on it. Feed only this.

Get the dog started on frontline to eliminate the chance that this is a flea allergy. If he's already on it, keep in mind that it only takes ONE flea to get the cycle started if the dog is allergic to fleas. Sentinel does not offer the protection that frontline offers.

Use a prescribed dose of benadryl when this gets bad. My vet recommends 1 mg per lb of dog given every 8-12 hours as needed when the itching starts

When the dog abrades the skin by chewing and scratching, this opens up the body to infection. Many dogs need antibiotics because of this.

See the vet so that they can get the dog started on an antibiotic if you suspect this.

Many dogs also need a shot of prednisone to control the itch and give the skin time to heal.

Keep in mind that you thyroid conditions can also cause hair loss and skin issues so you will want to have this checked if the suggestions above do not help.

If you have done everything that I mention above, your next step is going to be allergy testing so that you can find out exactly what he's allergic to.

I will tell you that...the things you have to go through to be an Expert are quite rigorous.

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